As peak season gets underway, food manufacturers are facing difficulties recruiting the staff needed to meet increased demand.
Research by Bristol Associates showed that 54% of employees responsible for recruiting new staff believe that staffing needs to increase over the next 12 months. 68% of that same group said they were facing challenges hiring new employees.
The survey, which is now in its third year, ran through May 2023 and also revealed that location was the second largest reason for hiring manager’s struggles to fill empty roles.
How a shuttle bus service can help boost recruitment
A cost-effective way to recruit the workforce your business needs is to organise a shuttle bus service. With routes created for specific site needs, employers and agencies are using the convenient transport to ensure they can recruit who they need and expand pools wider to boost numbers.
Customers such as Banham Poultry and 2 Sisters Food Group already use a RideTandem shuttle service to boost recruitment.
Businesses based in rural areas particularly struggle with attracting candidates for open roles due to a lack of public transport options.
Additional benefits of a workplace shuttle bus
As well as attracting workers to your site, running a shuttle service can also help boost productivity and employee satisfaction. Lateness and absenteeism can cause operational and financial issues.
From conversations with manufacturers in the industry, we know that even the lowest level of absenteeism can cause a factory to halt operations for an hour, leading to over £10,000 in costs.
A RideTandem shuttle bus provides a reliable transport link that can be tracked live, so both us and our clients know where the shuttle is and when it is due to arrive.
Employees leaving a worksite after a late night shift may need to walk some way in the dark to get to the nearest bus stop then wait for a bus. We help to solve problems like these as our shuttles can pick up and drop off team members along a route that is convenient for them.
By reducing the stress and cost of commuting, parking and fear of being stranded, a RideTandem shuttle goes a long way in boosting employee satisfaction and therefore helps retention.
A fully-managed, 24/7 service
A RideTandem shuttle bus is backed by our fully-managed service. Our team works 24/7 to communicate with transport operators, clients and passengers.
RideTandem also provides flexible payment options which help support your employees to book their bus tickets in advance and the ability to change routes or vehicle sizes to meet changes in demand.
Passengers use our smartphone app to book & track their bus, employers can see who has booked on each service and when those buses are scheduled to arrive.
Costs for employers can be offset through passenger fares. Payments are made by passengers when booking through the RideTandem app, so money is never deducted from workers' wages in line with guidelines from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).
